


Half Life

by mydeira



Category: Jekyll (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-14
Updated: 2012-01-14
Packaged: 2017-10-29 13:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/320164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydeira/pseuds/mydeira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom and Hyde have a tete a tete post series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Half Life

“Not so fun being alone in your head, is it, Daddy?”

Tom whirled around. Hyde leaned against the alley wall, leisurely smoking a cigarette. It was the alley where they’d broken that young man’s neck. And a good portion of the rest of the bones in his body.

“That lad Billy fared better than Benjamin’s thug. At least he still has his sight,” Hyde pointed out.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Tom said. He took a step toward Hyde, then stopped. It was never wise to get too close.

“It’s a dream. Of course I can be here.”

“I don’t dream about you.”

“You are and you always have. I am your dreams.” Hyde took a long pull on the cigarette, then dropped the butt to the ground. He exhaled slowly. “For a such a smart man, you’re awfully stupid.”

“Much fun as it is to be insulted by you, is there a point to any of this?”

“Places to be, Daddy? In a hurry to get somewhere?” Hyde sighed. “We don’t go anywhere anymore. All day long you stay shut up in the house. And all night long you sleep. You’re no fun. We used to have fun.”

“No, you had the fun. I cleaned up your messes.” Tom knew it was pointless to get upset. There was no arguing with Hyde because you never got anywhere unless you gave him something he wanted.

“But part of you was still having fun. Now, none of us are.” Pushing off the wall, Hyde closed the distance between them. “I’m getting bored. And we both know it’s not good when I’m bored.”

“It wasn’t good,” Tom corrected. “But you’re dead, so it’s no longer an issue.”

“I don’t feel very dead. Nope, not one bit.” Hyde stepped back and twirled. “As a matter of fact, I feel very, very alive.”

“Only because I’m dreaming this.”

“I thought you didn’t dream about me.” Hyde smirked triumphantly.

“Bastard.”

“No we’re not. Mum was married to dad. So, we can’t be a bastard.” Hyde frowned. “Or would it be mums?”

“Is there a point to any of this? Or are you just trying to deprive me of sleep again?”

“Yes.” Hyde bounced on his toes, grinning broadly.

“Wonderful.” Tom really preferred the nights he didn’t dream. Which had been every night since Hyde died. Six months of restful and peace-filled nights. No hangovers or grogginess. Every morning, he woke up more refreshed than he had in years.

“I died for Claire, Daddy. But you won’t live for her. That’s not very fair.”

“I live for her,” Tom protested.

“Really, are you sure?” Hyde leaned in close, studying Tom closely. “You never, ever leave the house. You only spend the bare minimum of time with your children. And you haven’t fucked your wife once since I’ve been gone. Not once. What are you so afraid of, daddy?”

“Nothing.” And it was true. Tom had nothing left to be afraid of. With Hyde gone, he was free to lead a normal life. More free than he ever was. And yet… “I don’t know,” he admitted.

Hyde wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Yes, you do. You know exactly what’s wrong. We learned it the day they stole Claire and the kiddies away.”

Tom studied the wall and its near-pristine brickwork. “Neither of us is much good on our own.”

“And Daddy moves to the head of the class.” Hyde gave him a hearty half hug. “So, what are we going to do about it?”

“We can’t. You’re dead, remember?”

“I spoke too soon,” Hyde tsked. “Forgot you were always a bit thick. For all your brains, I really am the smarter of us.”

“Tell me what I’m missing, then,” Tom said shortly.

Hyde’s voice dropped to a low whisper. “I’m not dead.”

Tom jumped out of Hyde’s grasp as if he’d been burnt. “No one could survive that.”

“I’m not no one. Haven’t you figured that out yet? I’m not like anyone else. Well, except maybe great-grandad.”

Tom backed away, trying to put distance between them, but Hyde kept closing in until Tom hit the wall and could go no further.

“You can’t run from me. And you sure as hell can’t hide. Know all your secrets now.” Hyde tapped the side of head. “Even the secrets that are secret to you.”

Tom couldn’t say he was surprised by the information. It didn’t mean he liked it. He decided to ignore the issue for the moment. “So if you’re not dead, where have you been.”

“Sleeping.”

“No, this is different. I used to still feel you when you were sleeping.”

“All right, not sleeping.” Hyde considered a moment. “Coma. That’s the word, isn’t it?”

“You’ve been in a coma the last six months?”

“Getting shot that takes a lot out of a guy. You can’t expect a person to just bounce back from that.”

“Most people would be dead.”

“Even this,” Hyde gestured vaguely around them, “is exhausting for me. I’m going to need lots of sleep after this.”

“Why not wait, then?” Tom wished brick were more giving. He wasn’t asking for much distance, just a couple inches.

“I didn’t want you to forget about me, Daddy. Or forget that you owe me. For the wife and the kids. For your life.”

“That was your choice.”

“And you didn’t try to stop me.”

Hyde was right. Of course, he wasn’t wrong very often. Morally, yes. Factually, no.

“Why bother warning me?” Tom asked. “Why not just make your grand reappearance when you’re up to speed again?”

“Because,” Hyde smiled slowly, “I’ve learned that it pays to play nice with you. Taking by force is well and good. And very fun. But cooperation is so much easier. For both of us.” He backed away. Reaching into his jacket, he withdrew a pack of cigarettes and matches. While busy lighting one he said, “I’d consider taking up smoking if I were you.”

“You’re the one that smokes. Not me.”

“You will.”

Tom sat up in bed, blinking in the darkness.

“Everything all right?” Claire asked groggily beside him.

He shrugged off her comforting hand and crawled out of the bed. “I’m fine. Just need to use the loo.”

He disappeared into the bathroom before she could question him further. Turning on the lights, he squinted against the glare and screwed up his courage to look in the mirror. Rationally, he knew there was nothing to worry about. He would look in the mirror and the only person looking back would be Tom Jackman. There would be no Hyde or traces of Hyde. Just one man in one body with one reflection. And if he saw darker eyes or more hair than expected…well, the hour was late and he wasn’t fully awake. He grimaced. He hadn’t been able to fool himself like that when Hyde first emerged, and there was no excuse for being a fool now.

Taking a deep breath, Tom raised his eyes and looked at his reflection.


End file.
